Caring for Women Veterans
Lisa Roybal
Women Veterans Program Manager
VA Loma Linda Healthcare System
Primary Author : Patricia M. Hayes, Ph.D
Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group
Office of Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration
Department of Veterans Affairs
Rethink
Veterans
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Women Veteran Population Increasing,
Total Vet Population Declining
Source: VetPOP, VA Office of Policy and Planning
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Women VA Users Doubled Since 2000
159,000
337,000
2000
2011
Sources: Women’s Health Evaluation Initiative (WHEI) and the Women Veterans Health Strategic Health
Care Group; Sourcebook: Women Veterans in the Veterans Health Administration V1: Sociodemographic
Characteristics and Use of VHA Care, 2011. VHA’s Office of Finance Allocation Resource Center (ARC).
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Women Represent
• 14.5% of Active Duty military
• 18% of National Guard/Reserves
• 11.6% of Operation Enduring
Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation
New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) Veterans
• 6% of VA health care users
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The Changing Face of VA
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Young women
Frequent visits
Service-connected disabilities
Maternity care
Working women
Mental health needs
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The Changing Face of VA
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Older women
Largest sub-population
Menopausal needs
Geriatric care
Inpatient/extended stays
Pain management
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Women Veterans and VA
• More women Veterans using VA care
• Those who use VA, use it intensively
• More women with service-connected disabilities
using VA
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Women Veterans and VA
• Women have different health care needs than men
• Women are eligible for VA health care on par with
that delivered to male Veterans
• Women are often engaged participants in their
health care
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It’s everyone’s job to care for women Veterans
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Rethink
VA
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Mission
• Ensure all women Veterans receive equitable,
high-quality, and comprehensive health care in a
sensitive and safe environment at all VA facilities
• Be a national leader in the provision of health care
for women Veterans, thereby raising the standard of
care for all women
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Improving the Experience for Women
• Implementing comprehensive primary care for women
Veterans at all care sites
• Training VA providers interested and proficient in Women’s
Health (more than 1,200 to date)
• Installing full-time Women Veterans Program Managers at
all medical centers
• Revising and creating VA policy related to women Veterans
• Ramping-up communications to and about women
Veterans
• Enhancing mental health, homeless services
• Researching effects of military service on women’s lives
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Improving Reproductive Health Services
• New and upcoming policies
– Maternity Care Coordination
– Infertility Policy
– Emergency Contraception Rights of Conscience (ROC)
• Maternity care
– 2010 Caregiver law
– Newborn care
– Childcare pilots
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Women’s Health Education
• Recruiting and retraining providers interested and proficient in
women’s health
• National Women’s Health Mini-Residency Program (live and online)
– More than 1,200 Primary Care providers educated in Basic and Advanced
Women’s Health Care
– Flagship education model for VA
• SimLEARN partnership: large mini-residency, ED-WH curriculum,
task trainer dissemination
• Advanced fellowships in women Veterans’ health
• Monthly provider audio-conferences
• Co-sponsored 2nd VA Women’s Health Research Conference
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Women’s Health Education –
Nurses and ED Providers
• Monthly audio-conferences for primary care nurses
• Some topics include:
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Understanding women Veterans
Breast symptoms and mammograms
Contraception
Menopause and hot flashes
Interpersonal violence/assault/Military Sexual Trauma
Cardiovascular disease/chest pain
• Women's Health Nursing Mini-Residency Pilot
– By invitation, August 2012
– Simulation training using pelvic and breast task trainers
– Will shape future training initiatives (in-person and on-line)
• Online trainings covering core topics in emergency women’s health
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Understanding Women Veterans
• National Survey of Women Veterans 2010
– 3,500+ participants through telephone interviews
– Findings: access, quality perception, barriers
– Next scientific survey of women Veterans: 2012
• More to come
– Women Vietnam Veterans Study
– Operation Enduring Freedom/
Operation Iraqi Freedom
(OEF/OIF) Cohort Study
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Culture Change
• Women Veterans Health Care is leading development
of a VA-wide communication plan to enhance the
language, practice and culture of VA to be more
inclusive of women Veterans
• National Women Veterans Communications
Workgroup:
– Broad representation across VA
– Tasked with developing strategies to reach women
Veterans and VA employees
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Culture Change through Communications
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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
your definition of Veteran
Rethink
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Questions?
www.womenshealth.va.gov
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